Rotating conveyor



Feb. 2, 1960 D. E. WOODMAN ROTATING CONVEYOR 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 1'7. 1948 INVENTOR. DANIEL E. WOODMAN BY.

ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 WOODMAN 2,923,399

ROTATING CONVEYOR Original Filed Dec. 17, 1948 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. EL.

FEEDER INVENTOR: DAN IEL E. WOODMAN ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 D. E. WOODMAN 2,923,399

ROTATING CONVEYOR Original Filed Dec. 1'7, 1948 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 WEIGHER INVENTOR. DANIEL E. WOODMAN ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 WQQDMAN 2,923,399

ROTATING. CONVEYOR Original Filed D60. 17, 1948 Fig.5.

9 Sheets-Sheet 4 WEIGHER INVENTOR. DANIEL E. WOODMAN ATTORNEY 1960 D. E. WOODMAN ROTATING CONVEYOR Originhl Filed Dec. 17. 1948 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. DANIEL E- WOODMAN BY;

ATTORNEY is: I 1 90 Feb. 2, 1960 D. E. WOODMAN ROTATING CONVEYOR 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed Dec. 17. 1948 INVENTOR. DANIEL E. WOODMAN BY.

ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 Original Filed Dec. 17, 1948 D. E. WOODMAN ROTATING CONVEYOR 9 Sheets-Sheet '7 CONVEYOR INVENTOR. DANIEL E. WOODMAN ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 Originil Filed Dec. 1'7. 1948 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 CONVEYOR Figli] IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1960 Original Filed Dec. 1'7, 1948 D. E. WOODMAN ROTATING CONVEYOR 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 JNVENTOR." DAN I EL E. WOODMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent ROTATING CONVEYOR Daniel E. Woodman, Decatur, Ga., assignor to The Woodman Company, Inc.

Original application December 17, 1948, Serial No. 65,775, now Patent No. 2,749,077, dated June 5, 1956. and this application June 4, 1956, Serial No.

8 Claims. (Cl. 198210) This invention relates to a rotating conveyor, and more particularly to a rotating conveyor which has been found to be particularly useful in connection with the packaging of potato chips or other materials, and in the present embodiment it is so shown and described.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 65,775, filed December 17, 1948, now Patent No. 2,749,077, for Material Handling Machine. It is an object of this invention to provide a machine in which a plurality of holders for containers are arranged to rotate intermittently.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine by means of which batches of material are loaded, conveyed and doffed speedily, efliciently and automatically.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine which is etficient in operation, sturdy and durable in construction, and easy and inexpensive to operate and maintain.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a complete machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, with parts in section, of the feeder mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view, with parts in section, showing the weighing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view, with cover plates removed, of the weigher shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an isometric, detail view, with parts broken away, of the weighing mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the scale switch mechanism.

Fig. 8 is an isometric detail view of the damper nozzle rotated through 90.

Fig. 9 is a' side elevational view, with parts broken away, of the conveyor and packaging mechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a detail of the conveyor and packaging mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional vertical end view of the conveyor and packaging mechanism similar to that shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, showing details of the conveyor and packaging mecha- IllSIIl.

Fig. 13 is an isometric, detail view, with parts in crosssection, showing the shaker mechanism.

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view of the upper portion of the feeder showing alternate construction.

In the embodiment illustrated, a main hopper 20 is adjustably supported upon an adjustment screw 21 which is threaded through an adjustment disc 22 which is supported by a support bracket 23 which is fastened to an Patented Feb. 2, 1960 31, of any well known construction, and hand lever 32 and links 33, 33 are provided for changing the speed of the motor in the accustomed manner. An alternate construction shown in Fig. 14 has the main hopper 20' movably mounted on supports 21 with connecting link 26 fastened directly to hopper 20.

Below the main hopper 20 is a primary feeder, designated generally at 34. Running substantially centrally through the primary feeder 34 is a bafile plate 35 to which there is attached at one end thereof a rocker bar 36 which is rocked, together with the baffle plate 35, by means of connecting link 37 attached to connecting rod 38 which is reciprocated by eccentric 39' mounted on shaft 40, on which cam is also mounted.

Below the primary feeder is the secondary feeder having a step plate 41 which is reciprocated in a manner somewhat similar to the kicker plate in the main hopper 20. For this purpose a stud 42 is fixed to the step plate 41. Pivotally connected to the stud 42 is a connecting link 43 which is pivotally connected to a cam follower arm 44 which is mounted for pivotal movement about the bronze bushed hub 45. The cam follower 44 is provided at its lower end with a cam follower roller 46 which is actuated by cam 47 mounted on shaft 48. At the discharge end of the step plate 41 is a feed roller 49 which is driven by belt 50 operated from a pulley 40' on shaft 40. Idle roller 51 and spring 52 serve to keep proper tension in the belt 50. Narrow slits (not shown) in the floor plate 53 about the feed roller 49 permit the passage of the spikes 54 on the feed roller 49 and also permit the filtering or dropping out of small particles of material being handled which fall through chute 55 into the drawer 56 which has a facing 57 which cooperates with the skirting 58 to complete the exterior of the feeder unit.

Adjacent the feeder unit is the weighing unit shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 8 and 13. An inclined shaker hopper 59 is carried in yokes 60 which slide on the slide bearings 61 which are securely fastened to the frame cross members 62. The shaker hopper 59 is held snugly in the yokes 60 by means of spring clips 63. The shaker hopper 59 is actuated in its shaking motion by means of eccentric 64 mounted on shaft 65 supported by bearings 66 which are fixed to the cross members 62. The shaft 65 is driven by suitable belt drive or other means from variable pitch sheave 67 which is mounted on shaft 68 which is driven by suitable belt drive or other means from electric motor 69.

A counter-weight 70 slides in bearing 71 and is attached to a counter-weight eccentric follower 72 at one 'end thereof, and the other end of the counter-weight eccentric follower has a projection 73 which is mounted in a self-aligning bronze bearing 74. The counter-weight eccentric 75 is mounted on shaft 65 in position diametrically opposed to eccentric 64. A plurality of upstanding longitudinal ribs 76 are fastened to the floor of the shaker hopper 59.

At the lower end or discharge end of the shaker hopper 59 is a lip portion having converging side walls 77, a cover plate 78 and a sharply inclined floor 79 which together with the sides 77 and cover plate 78 forms a mouth which is controlled by the gate 80. The gate 80 is pivoted on hinge rod 81 so as to be normally open 121 is arranged to cooperate.

due to the force of gravity. Attached to the gate 80 is an actuating arm 82 against which is directed a jet of air or other fluid from nozzle 83. The jet of air from nozzle 83 is controlled, as will be more fully described later, so as to actuate arm 82 to rock the gate 80 on hinge rod 81 to. close the gate when desired. The hinge rod 81 is secured to the horizontal frame member 84. Below the lip portion is a scale hopper 55 mounted on one end of thebeam of scale 86. On the other end of the beam of scale 86 is a weight pan 87 for holding the counter-weights or measuring weights for the scale, and attached to the weight pan 87 is an actuating arm 38 against which is directed a jet of air or other fluid from nozzle 89. The jet from nozzle 89 is controlled, as will be hereinafter more fully described, toovercome scale inertia and quicklyreturn the scale beam to the position to again start weighing. Also attached to the same end of the beam of scale 86 as the weight pan 87 and operating therewith is an arm 90 which carries a horseshoeshaped permanent magnet 91. The position of the magnet 91 may be adjusted vertically with respect to the end of arm 90 by means of set screw 92. The arm 90 also serves to actuate the scale indicator 93. Permanently affixed to the upright standard 94 carrying the scale indicator 95 is a mercury switch mount 95. A magnet-operated mercury switch 96 of known construction arranged for operation by the permanent magnet 91 is carried on the lower end of a plunger 97 mounted in the switch mount 95. The position of the plunger 97 and the switch 96 carried thereby is adjustable vertically by means of a screw-threaded push rod 98 which acts to push the plunger 97 downwardly against the action of spring 99 which reacts to exert pressure tending to raise the plunger.

Mounted immediately behind the scale hopper 85 and slightly above the level of the floor thereof is a nozzle 100 from which a jet of air or other fluid is directed longitudinally of the scale hopper 85 to discharge therefrom the material being handled. The jet from nozzle 100 is controlled, as will be hereinafter more fully described. Air or other fluid passing through nozzle 100 is supplied from a reservoir 101 which isshown as an upright cylinder forming a precipitation chamber for freeing the air or other fluid of excess moisture before it passes through nozzle 100. Drain cock 102 is provided in the bottom of the reservoir for drawing off the condensate. I

n In front of the scale hopper 85 is an inclined snout 103 of substantially conical shape and through which the material passes from the scale hopper 85 to a cylinder 104. The material passing fromthe snout 103 into a cylinder 104 is aided somewhat by a rotary brush 105 driven by an electric motor of conventional-design and indicated at 106. Each cylinder 104 has an upper edge 107 inclined to fit the discharge end of the snout 103 and curved outer edges 108 arranged to fit the brush 105, as bestshown in Figs. 9 and 10. i v

The cylinders 104 are fastened about the periphery of a wheel 109 which is mounted for rotation on a vertical drive shaft 110. Electric motor 111 isprovided for driving the wheel 109 through a speed reducing device 112 of conventional design. Connected to the output side of the speed reducing device 112 is a lower clutch plate 113 upon which rests friction clutch disc 114 and on the opposite side of which there is arranged the upper clutch plate 115 which is fixed onto the lower end of drive shaft 110. The drive shaft 110'p'asses through a bearing housing 116 below which is mounteda spring 117 which presses against a. collar 118 fixed onto the drive shaft 110 and thus forces the upper clutch plate 115 downwardly against the clutch disc 114. Fixed to the upper clutch plate 115 is a timer plate 119 provided with peripheral notches 120 with which the timer arm The timer arm 1 21' is pivoted at one end on the timer armbearing 122 which is rigidly mounted on the frame of the machine, indicated generally at 123. The timer arm 121 is arranged to be lifted from engagement in a notch bymeans of the timer arm latch 124 which in turn is arranged to be lifted by the solenoid 125, the control of which will be described in detail later. The timer plate 119 is also provided with a plurality of trip pins 126 which are arranged to engage the latch 124 and release thetimer arm 121.

A support 127affixed to each of the cylinders 104 carries a;main catch 129 and an auxiliary catch 128. Both the main catch and the auxiliary catch arm pivoted to the support 127 and they are biased by springs 131 and 130, respectively, so as normally to bear against the respective cylinder to Which they are attached. The

spring 131 on the main catch is relatively stronger than a the spring 30 on the auxiliary catch. Also, the main catch 129 is wider.v than the auxiliary catch 128 and is arranged to be lifted out of contact with its associated cylinder 104 by the main cam 132 which is supported by main cam support 133 which is rigidly affixed to the frame of the machine. A release earn 134, similarly supported by a release cam support 134, is positioned diametrically opposite the main cam 132 and is arranged to lift or open both the wide main catch 129 and the narrow auxiliary catch 128 from contact with the associated cylinder, as shown in Fig. 11.

In describing the operation of the machine, the ma-. terial handled will be assumed to be potato'chips for purpose of illustration. The chips are fed into the main per, is relatively quick, and the movement toward the discharge end of the hopper is relatively slow, so that the kicker plate shifts against the inertia of the chips at each stroke and then draws some of the chips toward the discharge end of the main hopper on each return stroke. The rate of flow from the main hopper to the primary feeder may be controlled by varyingrthe speed of the motor 31. which drives the kicker plate 25, or by adjustment of the kicker plate adjusting limit screw 27 to the throw of the cam follower arm 27, or by adjustment of the disc 22 on the screw 21' for raising and lowering Ihe upper end of the main hopper.

In the alternate arrangement shown in Fig. 14, the chips are moved into the primary feeder 34 by inertia feeding means accomplished by a reciprocating motion imparted to the main hopper 20 by the connecting link 26 and the cam follower arm 27. The movement of the main hopper in the direction of its upper end being relativelyv quick, and the movement toward its lower or discharge end being relatively slow, so that the main hopper shifts against the inertia of the chips at each stroke and then draws some of its chips toward its discharge end on the return stroke. The rate of flow from the mainv hopper can be controlled as described in the paragraph above for a main hopper with movable bottom or kicker plate.

As the chips leave the main hopper 20 they fall onto the baffle plate 35 which is being rocked back and forth by means of connecting rod 38. The baffle plate rocks the chips back and forth and Serves to jiggle the chips loose without breaking them, but at the same time loosening and distributing large masses of chips intosmaller masses and single chips.

From the primary feeder the chips fall onto the step 1 plate 41 in the secondary feeder where the chips are further advanced along their path of travel by inertia means, the step plate being reciprocated in' a manner Somewhat similar to the kicker plate in the main hopper 20 through cam follower arm 44 which is actuated by cam 47 so that it moves relatively quickly beneath the chips and against the inertia of the chips and then returns relatively slowly so as to advance the chips toward the feed roller 49. Because the chips are more widely separated or more thoroughly scattered on the step plate 41, the movement of this plate is more rapid than is the movement of the kicker plate 25 in the main hopper. The action of the step plate serves further to separate remaining masses of chips into single chips.

As the chips approach the feed roller 49, broken pieces of chips fall through slits in the floor plate 53 and are caught in the drawer 56 from which they may be removed as desired or after they accumulate. The spikes 54 on the feed roller 49 serve finally to lift the chips individually and feed them into the shaker hopper 59.

The shaker hopper 59 is moved from side to side with a reciprocating motion to overcome the gravitational drag of the chips to keep them flowing in a uniform stream down along the inclined floor of the hopper and toward the gate 80 which controls the outlet from the shaker hopper. The reciprocating action of the shaker hopper is made smooth and the vibrations in the ma chinery are dampened by the kinematic dampener which operates to reciprocate the weight 70 in an opposite direction to that of the shaker hopper and its associated moving structural parts.

As the chips approach the discharge end of the shaker hopper 59, they pass quickly over the sharply inclined floor 79 of the lip portion and drop into the scale hopper 85. Before any chips enter the hopper 85, the scale is balanced by the customary adjustment of the beam and the position of the mercury switch 96 is adjusted by means of the push rod 98 so that the switch is out of register with the permanent magnet 91, substantially as shown in Fig. 7; then the scale weight corresponding to the weight of chips desired is placed in the weight pan 87. The gate 80 being normally open by gravity,

chips will drop from the lip portion into the scale hopper 85 until the weight of the chips in the scale hopper tilts the beam so as to raise the permanent magnet 91 manually adjustable.

The solenoid valve 135 is connected into pipe line 137; and when energized, this valve opens to permit compressed air or other fluid under-pressure in the pipe line 137 to flow through branch pipe line 137' to the nozzle 83,

through branch pipe line 137" to nozzle 89 and through branch pipe line 137" to damper nozzle 138 and bag opener nozzle 138'. The bag opener nozzle does not hold open the bag which is being filled, but is merely .arrangedon the machine in a position to direct air into 'the bag next adjacent to the bag which has been carried into filling position. The solenoid valve 136 is connected into the pipe line 139; and when energized, this valve opens to permit'compressed air or other fluid under pressure to flow from the reservoir 1531 through the pipe line 139 to the nozzle 100. The jet from nozzle 83 lmpinges upon actuating arm 82 which operates to close the gate 89 so as to stop the flow of chips from the shaker hopper 59 into the scale hopper 85. Simultaneously with the closing of the gate 80, the jet from nozzle 100 blows the weighed batch or chips from the scale hopper 85; the jet from nozzle 89 impin es upon actuating arm 88 which operated to return the scale beam quickly to the normal pre-weighing position in which the weight pan 87 is lowered and the empty scale hopper is in the raised or filling position; and the jets the cover plate 140 on the scale hopper 85 and serve to cushion theri'se of the scale hopper and thereby dampen or obviate vibrations in the movement, and these jets from the damper nozzle 138 also serve to remove any chips, salt or foreign matter which may have become lodged on top of the cover plate 140. Thus it is seen that the weighed batch of chips is quickly emptied from the scale hopper, the hopper is thoroughly cleaned and the return of the scale beam to the pre-weighing position in readiness for the next batch of chips to be weighed is expedited and accomplished in a minimum of time, all by fluid pressure. Bag opener nozzle 138' is arranged to direct a blast of air or other fluid into the bag on a cylinder 104 immediately before it reaches the snout 193 so that it will be blown open to receive the chips which will pour into it from the snout.

Coincidentally with the return of the scale beam to the pre-weighing position, the permanent magnet 91 is lowered out of registry with the mercury switch 96 which immediately operates to de-energize solenoid valves 135 and 136 which then operate to close and simultaneously shut off the supply of compressed air, or other fluid under pressure, to nozzles 33, 39, 100 and 138. With the jet from nozzle 83 shut OK, the scale hopper 85 remains in its raised pre-weighing position due to the unbalanced weight of the scale weights in weight pan 87. With the jet from nozzle 83 shut off the gate 80 is promptly opened by the pull of gravity, and the chips again start pouring from the shaker hopper 59 into the scale hopper 85, the chips having accumulated momentarily at the discharge and begin sliding rapidly over the sharply inclined floor 79.

After being blown out of the scale hopper 85, the chips pass through the downwardly inclined conical snout 103, and into and through one of the cylinders 104 which are attached to the wheel 109, one at the end of each spoke 109'. The chips are aided in their passage through the cylinders 104 by the brush which rotates so as to brush the chips along the helps overcome any back pressure which may be built up. Each time the mercury switch 90 is operated by the proper amount of chips on the scale, it acts to set in operation a time switch mechanism 141, of ordinary commercial construction, which de-energizes the solenoid 125 for a predetermined time. This predetermined time is governed by the time it takes to empty the chips from the scale hopper 85 and have them pass through one of the cylinders 104, and the delay imposed by the mechanism 141 may be adjusted accordingly by means of the knob 142 on the control panel 143. The receptacle positioning mechanism is not set in operation until after the time delay imposed by the above recited mechanism has elapsed; thus, a receptacle is held in stationary position beneath the discharge means for a period of time calculated to empty the weighed material from the scale into the receptacle, and it is only then that the receptacle positioning mech anism advances to position an empty receptacle beneath the discharge means. When the solenoid 125 is energized, it operates to lift the timer arm latch 124 which in turn lifts the timer arm 121 from engagement with a notch 120 in the timer plate 119. When the timer arm is lifted out of engagement, the constantly rotating lower clutch plate 113 drives the upper clutch plate 115 to rotate wheel 169. The timer plate 119 rotates with the upper clutch plate 115 and causes a trip pin 126 to engage the timer arm latch 124 and release the timer arm 121 which then drops down onto the timer plate 119 and falls into the next peripheral notch and holds the upper clutch plate 115 from further rotation until the solenoid 125 is again energized as the time switch mechanism 141 completes its cycle of operation. There is a notch 120 corresponding with each cylinder 164, so that when the timer arm 121 falls into a notch 120 to stop the rotation of the wheel 109, the next successive cylinder 104 in order of rotation is correctly positioned in front of the inclined catch 129 out of contact with its associated cylinder 1% V and only the auxiliary catch 128 remains closed or in contact with the cylinder so that the bar or other container can be easily inserted between the cylinder and the auxiliary catch, against the action of the relatively weaker spring 130 which however is sufficient to hold the empty container in place on the cylinder. As the wheel 109 rotates, the main catch 129 is released so as to close and both the main catch 129 and the auxiliary catch 128 act to hold the container onto the associated cylinder 104 during the filling operation and until the wheel 1499 progresses so as to bring the cylinder 1% to the position shown at the right in Fig. 11 where both the catches 128, 129 are opened or lifted out of contact by operation of the release cam 134 and the container drops oif of the cylinder by the pull of gravity upon the container and its contents.

7 A spill race 144 is provided to guide any spilled chips into a receptacle (not shown) in the event that a bag were not in place on a cylinder 164 under the snout 103 when chips are discharged therefrom.

Air or other operating fluid under pressure i supplied to the machine at 145 and passes first to the line pressure gauge 146 and then to the filter unit 147, or ordinary construction. Leaving the filter unit, the operating fluid passes to the connection 148 from whence pipe line 13'? leads to the solenoid'valve 135. In the pipe line 137 is a connection 149 to which may be attached a hose (not shown) for air blasting the machine in cleaning it. Also leading from the connection 148 is a pipe line .150 which conducts operating fluid to the reservoir M1. The pipe line 1-50 is provided with a control valve 152 and a pres sure gauge 151 for use in regulating the pressure of the operating fluid supplied to the nozzle itltl, inasmuch as different sized batches of chips generaily require a blast of different strength to remove them from the scale hopper.

A scale blister 153, shown in Fig. 5, protects the scale and its associated operating parts. is provided to maintain the bags upright while filling, and a bag rest 155 is attached to the guide for supporting the bag. The bag to be filled rides up on the rest 155 as its associated cylinder 104 comes under the snout 103, so that the weight of the chips pouring from the snout into the bag will not dislodge it from the cylinder to which it is attached.

It will be realized that various modifications and changes can be made in the embodiment shown and described without departing from the scope of my invention I as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of A bag guide 154 2. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of cooperating clutch plates, means for constantly driving one of said clutch plates, a timer plate arranged to rotate with another of said clutch plates, a timer arm arranged.

for selective engagement with and disengagement from said timer plate, a timer arm latch arranged to disengage said timer arm from said timer plate, said timer plate being rotated by said first vmentioned clutch plate when said timer arm is disengaged from said timer plate, t -ip means arranged to release said timer arm for reengagement with said timer plate to halt the rotation thereof.

3. In a machine of the class'described, a plurality of cooperating clutch plates, means for constantly driving one of said clutch plates, a timer plate arranged to rotate with another of said clutch plates, a timer arm arranged for selective engagement with and disengagement from said timer plate, a timer arm latch arranged to disengage said timer arm from said timer plate, said timer plate ocing rotated by said first mentioned clutch plate when said timer arm is disengaged from said timer plate, trip means arranged to release said timer arm for reengagemerit withsaid timer plate to halt the rotation thereof,

- a plurality of holders arranged to rotate with said timer plate, a main catch and an auxiliary catch for clamping a container to said holder, and cams arranged to release said catches in predetermined zones.

4. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of cooperating clutch plates, means for constantly driving one of said clutch plates, a timer plate arranged to rotate with anotherof said clutch plates, a timer arm arranged for selective engagement with and disengagement from said timer plate, a timer arm latch arranged to disengage said timer arm from said timer plate, said timer plate being rotated by said first mentioned clutch plate when said timer arm is disengaged from said timer plate, trip pins arranged to engage said timer arm latch to release said timer arm for reengagement with said timer plate to.

5. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of cooperating clutch plates, means for constantly driving one of said clutch plates, a timer plate arranged. to rotate with another of said clutch plates, a timer arm arranged for selective engagement with and disengagement from said timer plate, a timer arm latch arranged to disengage said timer arm from said timer plate, said timer plate being rotated by said first mentioned clutch plate when said timer arm is disengaged from said timer plate,'trip pins on said timer plate arranged to engage said timer arm latch to release said timer arm for reengagement with said timer plate to halt the rotation thereof, a plurality of holders arranged to rotate with said timer plate, a main catch and an auxiliary catch pivotally connected to each said holder and having an end spring pressed against said holder for clamping a container thereto, a main cam arranged to open and then permit closing of said main catch in a predetermined zone, and a release cam arranged to open both said catches in another predetermined zone.

6. In a machine of the class described, a timer plate arranged for rotation, a holder arranged to rotate with said timer plate, a main catch and anauxiliary catch connected to said holder for clamping a container to the holder, and cams on said machine arranged to release said catches in predetermined zones.

7. In a machine of the class described, a timer plate for rotation, a plurality of holders arranged to rotate with said timer plate, a main catch and an auxiliary catch connected to each of said holders, each catch having'an end pressed against a holder for clamping a container thereto, a main cam arranged to open and then permit closing of each main catch in a predetermined zone, and a release cam arranged to open both of said catches in another predetermined zone.

8. In a machine of the class described, a timer; plate arranged for rotation, a plurality of holders arranged to rotate with said timer plate, .a main catch and an aux- 10 iliary catch pivotally connected to each of said holders References Cited in the file of this patent and having end springs pressed against said holders for clamping a container thereto, a main cam arranged to UNITED STATES PATENTS open then permit closing of said main catch in a prede- 619,834 Nickerson Feb. 21, 1899 termined zone, and an open cam arranged to release both 5 1;482,449 White Feb. 5, 1924 of said catches in another predetermined zone. 2,691,476 Petrea Oct. 12, 1954 

